Session
Swifty Session 6: Ground Systems & Operations
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
The increasing number of satellites in orbit and the upcoming deployment of constellations of hundreds of small satellites raises the problem of orbital debris and saturation of main LEO and GEO orbits. Currently, about sixty percent of satellites are deorbited at their end of life, including thirty percent deliberately with a propulsion system. The increase in the number of debris has led to the implementation of preventive and corrective actions at an international level to ensure the availability and safety of these orbits for future space projects. It therefore appears necessary to guarantee with the best estimate possible the operations of passivation and withdrawal of service for satellites in orbit at their end of life.
This paper presents and illustrates – with the case of the French National Space Agency’s scientific satellite TARANIS based on the Myriade microsatellite generic platform – different approaches to improve satellite reliability model. They are based on Bayesian and Chi-Square techniques that rely on operations feedback in order to provide a more realistic risk assessment, closer to the value statistically observed in orbit.
This will lead to a better compliance to space debris national and international standards – as the French Law on Space Operations or the ISO Space Systems - Space Debris Mitigation Requirements – concerning end-of-life operations. That way, it will guarantee a safe access and operations in space for future missions by limiting the proliferation of space debris in already crowded Earth orbits.
Satellite Reliability Model Supporting End-of-Life Operations Success
Utah State University, Logan, UT
The increasing number of satellites in orbit and the upcoming deployment of constellations of hundreds of small satellites raises the problem of orbital debris and saturation of main LEO and GEO orbits. Currently, about sixty percent of satellites are deorbited at their end of life, including thirty percent deliberately with a propulsion system. The increase in the number of debris has led to the implementation of preventive and corrective actions at an international level to ensure the availability and safety of these orbits for future space projects. It therefore appears necessary to guarantee with the best estimate possible the operations of passivation and withdrawal of service for satellites in orbit at their end of life.
This paper presents and illustrates – with the case of the French National Space Agency’s scientific satellite TARANIS based on the Myriade microsatellite generic platform – different approaches to improve satellite reliability model. They are based on Bayesian and Chi-Square techniques that rely on operations feedback in order to provide a more realistic risk assessment, closer to the value statistically observed in orbit.
This will lead to a better compliance to space debris national and international standards – as the French Law on Space Operations or the ISO Space Systems - Space Debris Mitigation Requirements – concerning end-of-life operations. That way, it will guarantee a safe access and operations in space for future missions by limiting the proliferation of space debris in already crowded Earth orbits.
